Category Archives: Central Valley Cali

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I don’t know about you but I just might need a weekend to recover from this emotional weekend in the news.

Still, it was a good weekend. A weekend where I had the opportunity to break bread, dance and exchange ideas with like-minded folk like me.

I met some amazing, friendly, talented young adults who shared their hearts so how could I not feel warm and happy. The Advocates of Stockton are a gift.

Listening to four California Congressional District 10 candidates speak, and even engaging in one on one conversation with them was like a fresh Delta breeze compared to the blocks to communicate with my Congressman Jeff Denham that are as stagnant as a Spare the Air Day in the Central Valley. Equally wonderful was the invitation from Congressman Jerry McNerney to an ice cream social where I can share with him things that are important to me…if only I lived in his district. Meanwhile, MY Congressman Jeff Denham also wanted to hear what is important to me sending me a survey via email which I could complete and submit – after I made a donation to his campaign.

But his campaign would still like me to complete that survey and submit it – after I make a donation.

Sorry, but no.

I would much rather stand in solidarity with the people of Charlottesville and with people here in Jeff Denham’s district saying the hate represented by the White Supremacist, Nazi terror groups in Charlottesville yesterday, in Seattle today and everywhere in America including our own backyard of Oakdale and Salida have no place here anymore. We might have been silent before imagining that we were but a small lone island here in the 209 surrounded by hate in the name of the GOP and Jesus’ name – but we aren’t. We really aren’t. We are opening our eyes and ears – seeing and hearing. We are not alone and we can not be silent. We can not remain neutral. Not now. Not ever again.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those, who in times of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.

But at last, at long last, we are docking this cruise we signed on and paid for. At long last!

Smile, Son!

Eleven years getting the best of orthodonture care from the best of orthodontists in the 209.I’m going to miss sending every six weeks in her office probably just as much as she is going to miss the checks that I have written her over the years. I shared with her today, for the first time, the tale of our beautiful smiles cruise. We both agree that it has been a long, but pretty delightful cruise with lots of smiles along the way. But all good things, even the best of cruises must end.

And we all can not help but smile even bigger and brighter – thanks to Dr. Duong.

Today’s high in my neck of the woods was 106° – day 4 of 100+ temps here in the Central Valley of California. Projected forecasts promise at least six more days of the same and higher. Yes, it’s a dry heat. This week. It’s also a furnace blast of heat into your lungs kind of heat. And a turn the Big Top into a dark cave to keep the house temperature down kind of heat. And a where are all my friends with pools kind of heat. Normal here in our neck of the woods. Still, it is miserable; and we do what we must to get through our own personal kind of Hell here in the Central Valley.

Hurray for microclimates because while the Central Valley was boasting triple digits, it was 20 degrees cooler driving over the Pacheco Pass and 40 degrees cooler in Monterey.

Really?!…Mine started with a call to my congressman. Check that, many calls…many, many calls dialed

yes kids, I said dialed

no kids, I’m not going to explain what dial is

Google it, okay

Anyway, I tried to get through to my congressman starting at 6 AM West Coast time and dialed repeatedly unable to even connect until finally:

Honorable Jeff Denham is not answering.

CLICK!

What the fresh hell???!!!

And so while I watched and listened to our Republican-controlled House ram this Trumpcare Bill through before their next seven day recess, along with so many other Americans, I did my very best to reduce all of the anxiety and stress.

Of course my form was as exquisite as Adriene’s. Of course it was! And it helped. At least I stopped screaming at CSPAN imagining that my congressman could hear me since his Washington and Modesto offices stopped taking constituents’ calls. But all the Nadi Shodhana and Downward Dog and Cobra and Warrior poses wasn’t going to stop my congressman and his GOP colleagues from completely ignoring the will of their constituents, from their vote and from their post-touchdown end zone celebration in the Rose Garden because we have a POTUS that needs to be happy and smiling; nor was it going to stop me from thinking of how this could potentially harm my family – the ones who won’t get to stay on their parents plan forever.

What a day!

A day that calls for ice cream and laughter and singing along to pop songs on the radio and hugs and after they go home to mommy, wine

Ahem, Joe Walsh.When it comes to being heartless and soul-less, you never disappoint.

It is indeed the longest hours of your life when your newborn son has to have emergency open heart surgery. I’m reminded of that every time I see the scar that remains on my teenaged son’s body from his open heart surgery. Kimmel is right too in the statement:

We were brought up to believe that we live in the greatest country in the world, but until a few years ago millions and millions of us had no access to health insurance at all,” he said. “You know, before 2014 if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance you’d never be able to get health insurance because you had a pre-existing condition. You were born with a pre-existing condition and if your parents didn’t have medical insurance you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a pre-existing condition. If your baby is going to die and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make.

Little Billy Kimmel has just begun to live and has done nothing but live a good life. One might argue that he peed on his mother the other day, but it is the rare person who changes a newborn baby boy’s diaper who does not get peed on. Billy Kimmel is leading a good life – and now has a pre-existing condition. Daniel, my son, is arguably the most good and kind person I have ever known. He has lived a good life for fifteen years now – and has pre-existing conditions secondary to his extreme, premature birth. Both boys enjoy having health insurance right now thanks to their parents – whether or not they realize that they are enjoying having health insurance.

Joe Walsh, Mo Brooks, and every other member of Congress and their families, enjoy the guarantee of health insurance for their lifetime, regardless of any pre-existing conditions they might have – including being asshats.

Meanwhile, I will be walking this weekend with my colleagues and NICU graduates and families whom I have been honored to care for. If you want to offer your support for my walk, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.